SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY, GUIDELINES, AND PROTOCOL WSPRA

Social Media Policy 1. Overall policy considerations 2. Policy considerations for WSPRA 3. Policy for schools

Why have a social media & blog policies  New media channels and internet services have changed the way we communicate  Personal information at display on blogs, Facebook etc.  The line between the personal and the professional sphere gets blurred.  Corporate information available from lots of sources.  Users spread information about brands, products and companies.  Internet allows viral spread of information  Bad news travel fast.  Good news can also travel fast.  Media and the blogosphere influence each other.

A social media policy should… "The true goal of every type of social media or web policy should be to make interacting on the social web easier, more comfortable, and safer for your stakeholders."

A good social media policy will…  Educate as well as guide  Provide instructive input to equip people with basic new media knowledge  Complement an existing code of conduct  “Educate on”, respect and enforce privacy guidelines  Set constructive boundaries

A social media policy is not…  A replacement for sound leadership  Divorced from corporate codes of conduct  Designed to app

Advice: Need to address:  Unofficial outposts  Offical outposts  Home base Set constructive boundaries.

Sample Policies:  Be trained  Provide unique perspectives  Post meaningful content  Be respectful and responsive  Respect confidentiality  Transparency  Follow the Intel Code of Conduct and Privacy Policy (you do have those, right?)

Sample Policies:  Follow all existing Mayo Clinic policies  Write in the first person  Disclose your relationship  Use personal contact information  Be respectful  Get your job done  Ask!

Policy Advice: HR Capitalist “[Organization] encourages team members to be active in social media as a representative of our company. Only three rules – be real, add value and don’t say anything that would embarrass your mom. If your mom has low standards, then don’t say anything you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of USA Today. Simple enough.“ "P.S. - You're responsible for all the other stuff in the handbook when you're twittering, blogging, Facebooking or whatever it is that you crazy kids are doing these days."

Simple rules to live by:  Hope for the best, but plan for the worst and  It’s easier and cheaper to keep yourself out of trouble than to get yourself out of trouble

You’ve got risks? We've got remedies…  Community policing  User agreements  Advanced opt-outs  Disclaimers  Insurance  Indemnification

Best practices in policies  DON'T start with banning  DO have a reason  DON'T be draconian  DO keep it simple  DO be flexible and realistic  DON'T allow anonymous participation  DON'T make technology a scapegoat

8 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

1. Introduce the purpose of social media  What’s in it for the reader?  Explain the benefits of “doing it right”  Focus on what people can do (even give ideas)  Leverage the positive  Social media isn’t restrictive – your policy shouldn’t be either

2. Be responsible for your content  Opinions are fine – don’t say anything stupid  Everything (words, spelling, video images, scenery, angle, etc.) matters  Content should be representative of the organization and its culture (or the culture you want)  It’s all about good judgment & common sense!

3. Emphasize your organization's values.  Most social media concerns can be addressed by deferring to the core values or DNA of how the organization functions  Fundamentals are more important than fancy policies  Even in a separate social media policy, there are non-negotiables that won’t change (hence, social media won’t “change” an organization either)

4. Remind people of existing rules  Again – there are likely codes and rules that you have that will survive the social media litmus test  Revisit other ancillary policies (privacy, IT usage, harassment, etc.)  EVERYTHING can come into play in social media

5. The importance of authenticity & transparency  No anonymous posting – remember Whole Foods  Disclose all affiliations  Golden rule  Transparency…but keep trade secrets & confidential stuff under wraps  Setup a protocol for “defending” the organization

6. Use disclaimers wisely  Outing your vested interest before you’re exposed by someone else  Provide sample language  If you’re nervous, include std. disclaimer on everything.

7. Confidential Info  Certain things should never make it to the web  Clients, patients, students, employee matters, legal matters…etc…  There’s no wiggle room on this – must have crystal clear understanding!

8. Productivity  What times are in and out of bounds for social media usage?  If adding to job role – clearly spell out what’s expected – can be a sinkhole of time!  Guide them to tools that help maximize productivity and minimize distractions…

Who needs to be involved?  Superintendent  Administrators  School board  HR Professionals  Legal counsel  Students (aka constituents)  Teachers  …anyone who may be affected by the policy

Air Force Response Policy  Founded in sound social media guidelines

Social Media Policy Q & A Need help after the presentation?